FURTHER INFO

Marta Buda

Posted
on October 30, 2016

Marta Buda is a designer and maker of wonderful textiles. You may well know that she works with Kate Megaw of Penny Sage - creating prints for the label's seasonal collections, as well as producing very beautiful handmade accessories. This season, Marta has woven individual panels for the Penny Sage Sidra Slide (now in store at Milly Sleeping - what a gorgeous and special shoe). I took this as an opportunity to be in touch with Marta ... She was kind enough to say a little about how she became a weaver, and about the ingenuity of the medium. Thanks Marta. x

MB: I initially started my degree in Fine Arts with the intention to major in Painting. However, I dropped out of the second semester of my first year and took a few years off before I returned. I don't remember if there was a lightbulb moment but, at some point, I decided I wanted to change my study direction to a Textile Design degree so, when I went back to University, this was where I went. At the time, the Textile department was quite small and well equipped, and somehow it seemed the closest to Fine Arts you could get within the Design spectrum. Weaving came as a compulsory part of the degree; the class was more of a technical course, with not too much scope for creativity on an 8 shaft loom. I got back into weaving a few years after graduating, as my partner had a simple rigid-heddle loom that he had been making scarves on before we met. He bought me some yarn as a gift and I used this to make a cushion cover on the loom. I didn't think it would evolve into something that I do weekly. I guess I both stumbled on and actively pursued weaving without realising it.

... In terms of making functional items, such as clothing, bags or household objects, weaving is probably the most versatile textile medium - especially when you consider that most fashion and interior fabrics are woven in some way. I have always had a specific interest in traditional or hand techniques, and am enchanted by the idea that I can take a cone of yarn and create a cloth from it.

... I am not a technical weaver; I currently only work on a rigid-heddle or tapestry loom, so it is rewarding to see my work being put to use. When Kate brought the idea [of doing a shoe] up, it seemed like an obvious collaboration option as we have been working together for a couple of years now. I feel lucky because Kate has a huge respect for material integrity and, because of this, she is always looking for unique design resolutions. Post Sole Studios have been making custom shoes for Penny Sage for a while and my weaving was a special way to introduce a different material to a sandal that they were working on. It seems very fitting to me that the final application is a time-consuming, handmade process, but ultimately a functional object.